Northport, Alabama

This cat never fails to make me smile whenever I see it at my favorite Chinese restaurant. According to Chinese legend, cats protected the family home by keeping rats away from the valuable silkworm cocoons and thus ensuring the family’s livelihood. Today, business owners place these cats on their countertops to attract wealth and abundance.

Apparently it is working. This is the third time I have eaten there this week. They see me so often that they know exactly what I am going to order — sesame chicken and crab rangoon. Sometimes I tell myself that I will try something different, go out on a limb for a change, but I always cave at the last minute.

And every time I walk out that door I swear this cat smiles back at me.

Music of the day: When I’m Gone by 3 Doors Down